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With a population of 475 residents, the Beallsville community gained the unfortunate distinction of having suffered the highest known per-capita casualty rate during the Vietnam War. Six Beallsville men, all under the age of 21, were killed in action in Vietnam between 1966 and 1971, a profound tragedy for this close-knit community. In 1969 Beallsville citizens worked with congressional representatives to prevent further loss of life, to no avail. Five other Monroe County men lost their lives in the conflict as well, magnifying the loss for one of Ohio’s least-populated counties. (continued on other side)
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The stone masons brought from England by Bishop Chase to construct early buildings at Kenyon College settled in this area. In the 1850’s with the help of Episcopal Bishop Gregory T. Bedell, they and other families in the community built “Quarry Chapel” on land given by John Bateman. William Fish, owner of a nearby quarry, donated the sandstone. The church stood unused and deteriorating since 1937. Restoration began in 1972.
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This building was a center of community life from the time of its construction in 1886 to the late 1930s. Once common, such combinations of governmental offices and commercial and entertainment space are today rare. The second floor opera house retains many original features, including stage backdrops, dressing rooms, and seats. Vaudeville, theater companies, and entertainment of all kinds were hosted here and many performers signed the backstage walls: Buffalo Bill dated his signature October 28, 1888. Along with village offices, first floor tenants have included the Vermillion Township Trustees, the Eddie Stover Hat Shop, and the F.L. Smith Watch Repair and Jewelry Store. Hayesville’s citizens approved the hall’s construction on April 18, 1884 by a vote of 100 to 13. Contractor Samuel Craig completed the building two years later at a cost of $4,852.20. Located on the Lincoln Highway, this building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
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Near this site in 1879, J.E. Newhouse discovered a magnetic spring in his park, Green Bend Gardens. It was found that a knife blade dipped in the water could pick up small metal objects like a magnet. The spring became known for its curative powers and was advertised as a treatment for ailments including rheumatism, gout, insomnia, and diseases of the kidneys, bladder, and nerves. To share the health-giving water, Mr. Newhouse opened the Magnetic Bath House, which became famous for its water cures. To reach a larger market, the magnetic water was sterilized and bottled and sold under the Magnetic Springs label. Advances in medicine after World War II led to the decline in the popularity of mineral baths.
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Prisoners convicted of rioting, larceny and adultery in Morgan County between 1833 and 1839 were confined to a dungeon near the Court House in McConnelsville. This stone vault, 11 feet high, 5 feet wide and 12 feet long, was discovered in 1964 and is believed to have been used as the county dungeon. The Morgan County Pomona Grange #81 in co-operation with the County Commissioners and the County Agricultural Society reconstructed the structure on this site in 1965 as a community service project.
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This bridge, spanning Brush Creek in Brush Creek Township, Scioto County, was erected in 1874 by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio. Robert W. Smith was granted patents for timber trusses in 1867 and 1869, and the design for this bridge is a Smith patented truss. The supplemental arches were added in 1896. Original length of 200 feet had been shortened to its present 171 feet. This plaque has been erected to give due honor to these early timber covered bridge builders and to the men of the community who so ably assisted them. [This side of the marker contains a bridge illustration in the upper left corner]
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The West Salem City Hall reflects a late-1800s municipal trend to house many civic functions under one roof. The fire station, jail, and council chambers occupied the ground level, while the second floor hosted a public auditorium, or “opera house.” Designed by native son William K. Shilling, later an internationally prominent architect, the Romanesque-style building was completed in 1899 at a cost of $9,077 and soon became the center of civic life in West Salem. Band concerts, vaudeville shows, town meetings, and graduation ceremonies were conducted in the opera house during its heyday before World War II. During the Cold War it was designated as a Civil Defense emergency field hospital. It remains a focal point of the West Salem community.
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On this site, on January 4-7, 1808, the six Masonic lodges then existent in the state met and formed the Grand Lodge of Ohio. General Rufus Putnam of Marietta was elected the first Grand Master. Because of advanced age and failing health, he declined the honor and Governor Samuel Huntington was named in his stead.
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